Major American technology companies appear to be adopting a conciliatory approach toward Washington.

Recently, prominent technology leaders including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, and Apple CEO Tim Cook gathered at the White House to endorse an initiative launched by First Lady Melania Trump aimed at "helping American children learn to use AI."

During the evening dinner, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft founder Bill Gates sat alongside the Trump couple.

In his remarks, Altman thanked President Trump for being "such a pro-business, pro-innovation president," while Nadella and Pichai also expressed strong support. These endorsements came with concrete commitments, including major investment plans announced by companies like Microsoft and Alphabet.

This gathering occurred as the technology industry faces mounting pressure from the U.S. government. From increasing antitrust lawsuits to tariff threats from the president himself, establishing positive relationships with the current administration appears to have become a priority for tech companies seeking to mitigate risks.

Notably, Tesla CEO Elon Musk did not attend the event, following previous significant disagreements over legislative matters.

**Tech Giants Promise Billions for AI Education**

Microsoft pledged to provide its Copilot AI service free to all American university students and plans to expand the program to K-12 teachers and students. Nadella stated this is part of the company's commitment to donate $4 billion in cash and AI services to education over the next five years. In a video posted on social platform X, he said:

"We are deeply grateful to the President, First Lady, and the entire administration for making developing the next generation's AI capabilities a national priority."

OpenAI announced the launch of an AI employment platform and certification program, designed to collaborate with employers like Walmart. Altman committed to providing AI skills certification to 10 million Americans through its online training platform by 2030.

Alphabet also joined the support effort, emphasizing the company's plan to invest $1 billion over the next three years in AI-driven education. Pichai stated:

"I am honored to be here supporting the First Lady's Presidential AI Challenge. We are very grateful for the collaboration with everyone present, and thankful for the First Lady and this administration's leadership."

**Strategic Considerations Behind Antitrust and Tariff Pressures**

The collective show of support from tech giants toward the White House reflects deeper strategic motivations. Since the election, technology company executives have been working to establish harmonious relationships with the Trump administration, hoping to secure more lenient regulations, increased public subsidies, and tariff exemptions.

However, they face an increasingly challenging policy environment. Many companies are confronting government-initiated antitrust lawsuits and potentially face business breakup risks. Meanwhile, the cost of disagreeing with the president has proven substantial. Trump has repeatedly criticized individual companies publicly and threatened targeted tariffs against companies like Apple to force compliance with policy agendas including "Made in America" requirements.

Against this backdrop, President Trump praised the attending CEOs during Thursday's event and indicated his administration is committed to facilitating the construction of computing centers needed for AI development, including "power capacity and... obtaining permits." This statement represents a positive signal for the technology industry eager to expand infrastructure.

**Tech Leaders Gather While Musk's Absence Draws Attention**

According to a White House official, beyond the several CEOs, Alphabet co-founder Sergey Brin, Oracle CEO Safra Catz, and Palantir executive Shyam Sankar were also invited to attend. The invitation list included Scale AI co-founder Alexandr Wang (currently at Meta), venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya, and others.

Among the many prominent figures, Elon Musk's absence was particularly noteworthy. The entrepreneur, who owns AI company xAI, indicated he received an invitation but sent a representative to attend on his behalf.

Musk had previously fallen out publicly with Trump earlier this year over legislative disagreements after leading the so-called "Department of Government Efficiency."